Jury selection begins in murder trial for Justin Whited in ‘Baby Dinah’ death

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Update

Jury selection begins today, May 14, 2018, for the murder trial of Justin Lee Whited in the 2016 death of his infant daughter, Dinah Paige Whited. Alcovy Circuit Court Asst. District Attorney Cliff Howard said jury selection with take place on Monday and the trial is expected to get under way Tuesday. The trial of Jamie Cason Whited, also charged with murder in the death of her daughter, will follow.

Initial story

It was two years ago that the tragic saga of Baby Dinah began. Next month, her parents will stand trial in a Walton County courtroom for the murder of Dinah Paige Whited, their 2-month-old daughter who eventually passed away on Aug. 8, 2016 after being removed from life support.

“I am handling the cases and they will be handled separately,” Howard confirmed. “We are trying Justin Whited’s case first.”

Walton County Superior Court Judge Eugene Benton will be hearing the cases. Justin Whited is charged with one count of malice murder, two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated battery and two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree. His wife, Jamie, faces similar charges except that she is facing murder in the second degree instead of malice murder. She is also charged with two counts of felony murder, one count of aggravated battery and two counts of cruelty to children in the first degree.

The saga began on April 23, 2016 when officers with Monroe Police Department responded to the Whited residence in response to reports of a 2-month old baby being unresponsive. The infant, who became known as “Baby Dinah,” was transported to Egelston Children’s Hospital in Atlanta, where she has remained on life support for three months before being removed on Aug. 16. By that time, her father, Justin Whited, was already in jail facing charges of aggravated battery and cruelty to children and her mother was charged with cruelty to children. Although incarcerated at the time, they were allowed to say goodbye to their daughter at the hospital prior to her passing. The charges were then upgraded to felony murder.

Monroe Police Department released a statement at the time that read, “The brutal injuries that Dinah suffered over time, along with the lack of medical attention, ultimately lead to her death. Both Justin and Jamie Whited have been charged with felony murder; they remain incarcerated in the Walton County Jail.”